Category: Recipe

With so many people going with the trend of tapas or “small plates”, what could be easier for entertaining than a Bruschetta Bar? I resolve in 2018 to entertain more because I love it! And this simple menu allows guests to informally relax and make their own bruschetta, or choose from the few baked varieties I include.

This idea came to me from What’s Gaby Cooking. She’s got the goods on what you should put on your board, what is essential for the party and even recipes for some delicious toppings. Just click the link to check her out. This is her picture, doesn’t it look scrumptious?

In addition to Gaby’s bountiful spread, I’m sharing some of my favorite bruschetta recipes. I love anything artichoke, and this first one is yummy.

ARTICHOKE BRUSCHETTA

INGREDIENTS

1 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/3 cup minced onion

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

mayonnaise

16 -18 slices of a small baguette ( 1/3″ thick)

DIRECTIONS

Chop artichokes well.

Mix artichokes, onion, and Parmesan cheese.

Add just enough mayonnaise to make spreadable.

Add garlic powder, mix well.

Spread baguette slices with artichoke spread and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until topping starts to bubble and brown.

Here’s another favorite of mine. Originally it was from the Olive Garden website. Really delicious and simple to make and keep in fridge ’til party time!

Sandwiches represent a certain failing for me. Whenever I can’t get a home cooked dinner on the table, I rely on this old staple to sustain my hungry people. It’s a default if my kids won’t eat what I’ve made (yep, I’m one of those parents who don’t MAKE the kids eat what I fix.) But I’ve learned that sometimes, when you make a sandwich, there is a certain comfort in being able to take your plate and eat in front of the TV while watching Seinfeld re-runs. Here are some of my favorites:

DIRECTIONS

Spread mayonnaise on one side of a piece of toast; add layer of American cheese, ham, two slices of tomato, two leaves of lettuce, and two pieces of bacon.

Spread mayonnaise on second piece of toast and place on top, mayo side down.

Spread mayonnaise on top of that second piece of toast.

Layer Monterey Jack cheese, the rest of the tomatoes, lettuce, turkey and bacon on top.

Spread mayonnaise on third piece of toast and place on the stack mayo side down.

Slice the sandwich in quarters diagonally.

Skewers or long toothpicks may be used to hold all the layers together.

Grilled Chick N Wrappers

Grilled Chick N Wrappers

A wrap is a kind of sandwich, right? I made this one for the family last night and it was a spot hitter. You know, it hit the spot? OK, so it comes together easily, and even though the word “grilled” is in the title, you just cook up the chicken in a skillet. I suppose actually grilling it could only improve its flavor.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 sweet onion

1 cucumber

8 ounces Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese blend

6 slices hickory smoked bacon

16 ounces shredded Lettuce

ranch salad dressing

6 (10 inch) flour tortillas

1 lime

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet heat olive oil on medium.

Cut the chicken thighs into strips and add to skillet.

In a separate skillet, fry the bacon.

While they are cooking, slice the onion, cucumber and set aside.

When chicken is done and the bacon is done, remove from skillet and set aside.

Assembly time. Heat the tortilla in microwave for 15 seconds.

To the tortillas, add the ranch, lettuce, cucumbers, onion, bacon, cheese, and then chicken and squeeze a little lime juice over and wrap like a burrito.

Pressed Chicken Tortas

I got this recipe when I was using Blue Apron. They have some really great recipes, probably the best service I’ve found. This one seems long, but it’s just because they over-explain all steps 🙂 Give it a go. Delicious sammy!

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the rolls. Core, halve and thinly slice the tomato. Crumble the queso fresco. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; roughly chop the leaves. Quarter the limes. Halve, pit, peel and thinly slice the avocado; top with the juice of 2 lime wedges to prevent browning. Peel and halve the onion; small dice 1 half and thinly slice the remaining half. In a medium bowl, combine the diced onion and thejuice of 4 lime wedges.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper and (reserving a pinch) as much of the spice blend as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken. Cook 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. Wipe out the pan.

While the chicken cooks, add the sour cream and remaining spice blend to the diced onion-lime juice mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

When cool enough to handle, thinly slice the cooked chicken. Place the bottoms of the rolls, cut sides up, on a clean, dry work surface. Divide the sliced chicken, avocado, as much of the sliced onion as you’d like (you may have extra), the tomato, half the queso fresco and the cilantro between the roll bottoms; season with salt and pepper. Top with the juice of the remaining lime wedges and the roll tops.

In the pan used to cook the chicken, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Working in 2 batches, add the tortas. Place a heavy pot on top of the tortas to press them down. Cook, occasionally pressing down on the pot, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and slightly flattened. Transfer to a cutting board or plate.

While the tortas toast, in a large bowl, combine the lettuce, pepitas,remaining queso fresco and as much of the dressing as you’d like (you may have extra dressing). Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut each toasted torta in half diagonally; divide between 4 plates. Serve with the salad on the side. Enjoy!

Another favorite is LEMONY CUCUMBER CREAM CHEESE SANDWICHES. I made these for a Broker luncheon at a home I had listed in Lincolnton during the summer and they were cool, refreshing and tasted of summer. The original recipe is from Chew Out Loud.

Chop and dump. Sometimes supper is really just that easy. Here are a few of my favorite salads:

Bucca Di Beppo Chopped Antipasto Salad

Perfect for Italian dinner.

Bucca Di Beppo Chopped Antipasto Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 ounce pepperoni, diced

1 ounce mortadella, diced

1 ounce red onion, diced

2 ounces roma tomatoes, diced

2 ounces cucumbers, diced

1 ounce gorgonzola, crumbled

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 ounce pepperoncini pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon oregano

4 ounces Italian vinaigrette dressing

3 pepperoncini peppers, whole

black olives

green olives

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, except 1/2 the tomatoes, the whole pepperoncini, olives and dressing and toss.

Add the dressing and toss until fully incorporated.

Mound the salad mixture on a chilled plate, getting as much height as possible.

Place remaining tomates around the outside of the salad.

Garnish with whole pepperoncini and olives and serve

“The Wedge” with homemade Ranch Dressing

The Wedge is one of the simplest salads ever, but looks kind of fancy and is really one of my favorites. I core one head of lettuce (bang core on counter, it comes right out) then cut your head of lettuce into 4 wedges. Top with your favorite things: Mine are bacon bits, shredded cheddar and chopped tomatoes. Drizzle with this amazing dressing:

I did a luncheon for this gorgeous home I have listed (shameless plug):

It was so well attended, and I’ll tell you why. The secret is to MAKE lunch. Well, that and you have to get the word out. But people will come if you actually MAKE your food instead of getting a Subway tray and a grocery store bakery tray of cookies. That’s my story, anyway. The other secret is to give away free stuff. Angela Gribbins, you won the Fandango Gift card.

So I had the idea for a chili bar because it was cold the day I did the luncheon. We had two types of chili, baked potatoes and corn muffins and brownies with white frosting. The toppings I had were tortilla chips, corn chips, shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onions and tomatoes, jalapenos and soup crackers.

The first chili I served was White Chicken Chili. I got the recipe off of the Pinterest and it was really delicious. You can get the recipe here: Add a Pinch

I also served a traditional chili. It was really really delicious. The secret was to cook it low and slow on the stove for hours, not the short time suggested here. If it gets thick, hit it with some beef broth.

Birthdays are big deals in my house. You get to choose a home-cooked meal of your choice or a restaurant dinner of your choosing. My brother-in-law, David, is so awesome (pictured with my gorgeous sister above). He put in so many man hours on my new home, all for free. So, when his birthday rolls around and he says he wants a lasagna dinner, I make it my business to make a sauce for the lasagna that is simmered all day, and finally baked into a lasagna.

So, while loads of my recipes are quick, this one isn’t. But if you have a day to hang around the house, while your sauce gently bubbles on the stovetop, make this. So.worth.it.

Delicious Veal and Pork Bolognese Sauce

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

“This sauce must be cooked for 2 hours or even more is even better! the first hour covered then the last uncovered. If possible prepare this sauce one day in advance and refrigerated, it will increase the flavor. This is a very hearty sauce, you can also add in a can or plum tomatoes, chopped and drained if desired.”

Add in tomato paste; cook stiring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Then add in the ground veal and pork; cook until cooked through and well browned (about 12 minutes, the meat should be BROWNED well!).

Add in the wine then simmer for about 8 minutes uncovered.

Add in the broth and crushed tomatoes; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Uncover and season with salt and pepper; simmer for another hour or more (uncovered).

If you prefer a creamy sauce, add in about 1/4 cup whipping cream towards the end of cooking.

Serve over cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

Now use that sauce to make your favorite lasagna recipe. Here’s one of mine: Lasagna Suzanne

So, most people’s New Year’s Resolutions include losing weight, stopping drinking or smoking, or being nicer. Mine was to cook more. In order to accomplish this, I have *got* to get more organized. No more jotting down a grocery list with recipes I’m tagging on Pinterest. I have to make a weekly menu, and shop for it once a week, to maximize my time. So..menus. Weekly menus. That’s my plan of action.

Tomorrow is my 18th wedding anniversary. It’s a Monday. Blah. Day full of meetings and night full of homework, so no fancy restaurant for us. Instead I’ll fix us something yummy tomorrow, and kind of fancy. The rest of the week we can eat pork and beans, I guess.

So, for our appetizer I’ll make Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms. It’s been my experience that nothing conveys love more than bacon and cheese.

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

5 -6 slices bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons Bourbon

one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 pinch salt and pepper

2 1/2 lbs fresh button mushrooms, stems removed

grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a large skillet, cook the onions and bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the mixture from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add the bourbon and cream cheese and stir constantly until the cream cheese is melted and mixed with the bourbon. Add the onion and bacon mixture back into the skillet and mix together. Add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix together.

Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Top with some Parmesan and put back into the oven to allow the cheese to melt. Remove from the oven and serve.

The main event is going to be steak with sauteed mushrooms, Caesar salad, broiled lobster tails and twice-baked potatoes. Good heavens. This is way better than I can get at our local steakhouse.

Fancy Anniversary Feast

For the steak, I marinated it overnight and then grilled it to yummy perfection.

Steak Marinade

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or 1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

pepper

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together and place steaks into freezer bag with marinade, preferably overnight.

The original recipe used balsamic vinegar.Seems I never had that on hand so I just used white and listed that in the recipe, but balsamic is definitely better.

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Sauteed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

3 green onions with tops, chopped

1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, melted

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

Saute green onion in butter until tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients; cook, uncovered, over low heat 30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender.

Cover and process until creamy.

Serve over torn lettuce with Parmesan cheese and croutons.

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For the lobster, I just looked a recipe up on the internet and used it. I don’t have lobster often enough to have a tried and true recipe. I’ll have to change this. Here’s one for you: Broiled Lobster Tail with Brown Butter Sauce.

Directions

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until foamy. Beat in 2 tbsp of the sugar until stiff, shiny peaks form when beaters are lifted.

With same beaters (no need to wash), beat yolks and remaining sugar in a large bowl until mixture is light; beat in flour, extract, lemon zest and juice. Gradually beat in milk. Using a wire whisk, gently fold egg whites in yolk mixture just until combined. Divide batter among prepared cups (cups should be filled to the top). Place cups in hot water in roasting pan.

Bake until puddings are puffed and golden brown on top, about 24 mins. Serve puddings warm or at room temperature, with confectioner’s sugar and remaining berries.

Sometimes I like fancy, and sometimes I like comfort. Last night I was in the mood for sandwiches, but my husband wanted meatloaf. Ugh. No one else in the house likes it, but he pulled the “I’ve been working all day” card, so I acquiesced. Turns out this meatloaf was pretty darn good, even though I made it under duress.

Form 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture into a small patty, add it to a small oiled skillet, and cook until no longer pink. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Transfer meat mixture to an oiled loaf pan.*.

*NOTE: The best way to make the meatloaf is to use a baking sheet, lined with foil. Place a cooling rack on top. Cut a piece of foil to be larger than a the loaf– and shape the meat into a loaf. Using a metal skewer, poke holes along the foil — usually every other hole.

Place the shaped loaf on top of the foil. I prefer this method, as the loaf is less likely to “steam” in a loaf pan. You can also glaze all around the meatloaf, which is even better!

Brush meat with ketchup glaze.Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until glaze has set.

My oven takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the desired doneness. Times do vary, so allow for that!

Internal temperature of loaf should be 160 degrees F.

Darn Good Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup heavy cream

directions

Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven, cover with water and add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, (15-20 minutes). Drain well.

Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl, add butter and whip the potatoes with an electric mixer until there are no lumps. Pour in the cream and continue whipping until the potatoes are fluffy.

The Lady’s Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

4 cups elbow macaroni, cooked & drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.

Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

Top with additional cheese if desired, and bake a few minutes more until cheese is melted.

Marie Callender’s Cornbread

Marie Callendar’s Cornbread

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup real butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8×8″ pan on bottom and sides; set to the side.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until well blended.

Add sugar, milk, melted butter and whisk thoroughly.

Add Bisquick and cornmeal to egg mixture, and mix just enough to completely moisten dry ingredients and leave no lumps.

Do not overmix.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry and top is firm to touch.